In May of 2016 we premiered a stream of Singularity, the third album by the Swiss band Stortregn. We found it to be an electrifying adrenaline rush from start to finish. Drawing upon the rich traditions of Scandinavian melodic death metal as well as Nordic black metal, Singularity reminded us of At the Gates at their most ferocious, accompanied at times by the wintry chill of early Dissection.

It was thus very welcome news to learn that Stortregn are returning with a fourth full-length. With the title of Emptiness Fills the Void, it will be released by Non Serviam Records on May 25th, 2018, and today we are very happy to host the premiere of a song called “Shattered Universe“, which is presented through a lyric video that makes effective use of the cover art by the great Dan Seagrave.

“Shattered Universe” bears the hallmarks of so much of what made Stortregn’s last album such a tremendous thrill to hear. It’s explosively energetic, propelled by bone-vibrating bass lines and hammering, galloping, and blasting drum rhythms. As before, the inflamed vocals alternate between scalding shrieks and ravenous-monster roars — the song is ferocious as well as exhilarating.

But perhaps the most memorable hallmark of the song are the fantastic dual-guitar fireworks included within it — darting and jolting riffs galore; manifold swirling and swarming arpeggios; interludes of deep, brooding melody; and much more. It begins to seem as if the entire song is vibrating with highly communicable energy. It’s both a grim and a glorious experience.

Stortregn themselves gave us this comment about the song:

“‘Shattered Universe‘ is a musically aggressive and straightforward song, while the lyrics paint a picture of a dystopian cosmic future which will eventually lead to its rebirth, a cyclical process. The rich guitar work, thunderous bass and pounding drums complement the lyrics and contribute to an overall sulphurous song. Humanity is warned! Worlds will collide!”

As mentioned, Dan Seagrave painted the cover art. The album was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Vladimir Cochet (Conatus Studios). The video was produced by YOD Multimedia.

Non Serviam Records recommends the new album for fans of Dissection, Thulcandra, Black Horizons, Sacramentum, and Marduk.

Pre-order via the links below — the first 50 pre-orders will receive a free patch.

…”mixed, and mastered by Vladimir Cochet (Conatus Studios).” Vlad is also behind some amazing music himself. Most notably Mirrorthrone. I urge anyone who enjoys Symphonic/Experimental Black Metal to check out his projects. He plays all of the instruments for them.
…Also, I definitely am liking the embedded track. I’ll probably order this one. Cheers.